Metal vs Plastic Landscape Edging

If you want edging you install once and forget, choose metal: steel or aluminum edging gives crisp, nearly invisible lines, holds tight curves, stays put through frost and typically lasts decades. Plastic edging, including no-dig and rubber types, costs much less and is easier for a first-time DIYer, but it tends to heave, wave and fade within several seasons, especially in cold climates. Between the metals, steel is stiffer and more affordable for long straight runs, while aluminum is lighter, never rusts and bends more easily around curves. Plastic and rubber still make sense for short-term beds, kids’ play areas, tight budgets and places where a sharp metal edge is a concern. Here is how they compare in detail.

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In this guide

1. Landscape Edging Compared
2. Steel Landscape Edging
3. Aluminum Landscape Edging
4. Plastic Landscape Edging
5. Rubber Landscape Edging
6. Installation: What Changes by Material
7. Height, Thickness and Gauge
8. Where Each Type Works Best
9. Maintenance and Lifespan
10. Which Should You Choose?
11. Frequently Asked Questions

Landscape Edging Compared

Factor	Steel	Aluminum	Plastic (trenched)	No-dig plastic	Rubber
Relative material cost	Medium to high	High	Low	Low	Low to medium
Typical lifespan	20+ years	20+ years	Several years to about 10	A few years	Several years to about 10
Look	Thin, crisp, modern	Thin, crisp	Rounded top visible	Visible stakes and lip	Thick, often brick or wood texture
Curves	Gentle curves; tight ones take effort	Bends easily	Easy	Easy	Very easy
Frost heave	Resists when staked	Resists when staked	Common	Common	Moderate
DIY difficulty	Moderate	Moderate	Easy to moderate	Easy	Easy
Safety edge	Can be sharp; choose rolled top	Usually rounded or rolled	Soft	Soft	Soft

Costs vary widely by brand, gauge and region, so treat the rankings above as relative. For installed projects in hardscape-heavy yards, our landscaping and hardscaping guide covers how edging fits alongside pavers and retaining walls.

Steel Landscape Edging

Steel edging is the professional landscaper’s default for good reason. Strips are typically 4 to 6 inches tall and about 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick, sold in 8- to 10-foot lengths that interlock or overlap, with steel stakes that slide through slots and drive deep into the soil. Once installed, only a thin line shows above the ground, which makes lawn and bed edges look sharp without drawing attention.

• Finishes: Raw or weathering steel (often called Corten) rusts to a stable brown patina. Galvanized and powder-coated steel, often black or green, resists rust and blends into planting.
• Strength: Steel resists mower bumps, foot traffic and frost heave better than any other material here.
• Curves: Gentle curves are straightforward; tight radii need bending by hand or with a pipe, and thicker gauges fight back.
• Drawbacks: Heavier to transport, higher upfront cost, and the top edge can be sharp, so choose a rolled or safety top near play areas and paths.

Aluminum Landscape Edging

Aluminum edging offers the same clean, thin look as steel at a fraction of the weight, and it never rusts. It bends easily, making it the better metal for flowing, curvy beds and tree rings. Most products have a rounded top or snap-on cap, and many come in black, bronze or green finishes.

• Pros: Rust-proof, light, easy to cut and curve, long lifespan.
• Cons: Usually costs more per foot than steel; softer metal can dent if struck hard by a mower or vehicle; thin strips may flex in loose soil without enough stakes.

Aluminum is a good choice in coastal areas, where salt air accelerates rust on steel, and for homeowners who want metal edging without handling heavy steel strips.

Plastic Landscape Edging

Traditional plastic edging comes in long rolls with a rounded bead along the top and an anchoring lip at the bottom. You bury it in a narrow trench, leaving only the bead above ground, and secure it with plastic or metal stakes every few feet. It costs the least of any option and bends around any curve.

The problems show up over time. Frost heave pushes it up a little each winter in cold climates. Sun makes cheap plastic brittle, and rolls that came coiled tend to wave back toward a curl. Mower wheels ride up on the bead. Heavier commercial-grade plastic edging lasts longer than thin big-box rolls, and burying it deeper with more stakes helps.

No-dig plastic edging

No-dig edging sits on the soil surface or in a very shallow groove and is held with long stakes driven through it. It installs in a fraction of the time of trenched edging and is popular for quickly defining mulch beds. Because so little is anchored below ground, it is the most likely type to shift, heave and let grass creep under. It works best for temporary beds, rentals and gardens you expect to redesign.

Rubber Landscape Edging

Rubber edging, often made from recycled tires, comes in thick, flexible strips, sometimes molded to look like brick or stone. It is soft, which makes it safer around play areas and trampolines, and it bends easily. It is heavier than plastic, so it tends to stay put once anchored. Downsides include a bulky look, possible odor when new, and a tendency to fade. It is better for borders around play surfaces and mulch areas than for fine lawn edges.

Installation: What Changes by Material

All trenched edging follows the same basic steps: mark the line with a hose or marking paint, cut a trench with a flat spade or half-moon edger, set the edging so the top sits about half an inch above the soil or sod line, stake it, and backfill. Our full guide on how to install landscape edging walks through each step.

• Metal: Cut a narrow 4- to 5-inch-deep slit, set strips, overlap or connect ends, and drive stakes at the spacing the manufacturer specifies, often every 3 to 4 feet. Use a rubber mallet or a block of wood to avoid bending the top edge. Wear gloves; cut ends are sharp.
• Plastic: Unroll in the sun to soften, set in a 4- to 5-inch trench with the bead just above grade, stake every 3 to 4 feet and more on curves, then backfill and compact well on both sides.
• No-dig: Lay in place, drive stakes at an angle through the anchoring slots, and pin curves closely.
• Rubber: Set in a shallow trench or on grade and pin with long spikes.

Before cutting your first trench, call 811 to locate buried utilities, especially along driveways and near the house.

Height, Thickness and Gauge

Two specs matter most when comparing edging within a material. The first is height. A 4-inch strip is enough to separate mulch from lawn in most yards; 5- to 6-inch edging does a better job of blocking spreading grasses such as bermuda and zoysia, whose runners travel just below the surface, and it holds back gravel paths more reliably. The second is thickness. Thicker steel (closer to 3/16 inch) stays straighter over long runs and resists denting, while thinner steel (around 1/8 inch or 14 gauge) bends more easily for curves. With plastic, look for a heavier wall and a deeper anchoring lip; thin, flimsy rolls are the ones that wave and pop out after a single winter.

Where Each Type Works Best

• Lawn to planting bed: Steel or aluminum gives the cleanest mowing line. Set the top just above the soil so mower wheels can run along it.
• Gravel and paver paths: Steel or heavy-duty aluminum holds loose stone in place and stands up to foot traffic. Plastic paver restraint is designed specifically for paver patios and is a different product from garden edging.
• Tree rings: Aluminum or flexible plastic forms circles easily. Keep the trench shallow near trunks to avoid cutting large roots.
• Vegetable gardens: Any type works; many gardeners prefer untreated steel or rubber that is easy to move when beds change.
• Driveways: Use heavy steel and stake closely, since tires will eventually hit it.

Maintenance and Lifespan

Metal edging needs almost nothing beyond occasionally re-seating a stake. Plastic needs to be pushed back down each spring in frost-prone areas, and stakes replaced when they work loose. All edging works best when you also trim the grass edge regularly; see our guide on how to edge a lawn. Keep mulch an inch or so below the top of the edging so it does not spill over.

Which Should You Choose?

• If you want a permanent, professional look: steel, with a rolled top near walkways.
• If your beds have lots of tight curves or you live near the coast: aluminum.
• If you are on a tight budget and want a long run: commercial-grade trenched plastic, staked closely.
• If you need beds defined this weekend or may redesign soon: no-dig plastic.
• If edging surrounds a play area: rubber, or plastic with a soft top.
• If you live where the ground freezes hard: metal, or plastic installed deep with extra stakes.

For more design inspiration, including stone, brick and wood borders, browse our lawn edging ideas, and our roundup of the best garden edging compares current products.